The Complete Guide to EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer Club: Earning & Redeeming Points

EL AL is the flag carrier of Israel and travels to over 50 destinations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

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EL AL’s frequent flyer program, Matmid Club, makes it possible for members to earn points for flying EL AL, and for transferring rewards from your IHG Rewards Club account. Matmid Club points can then be redeemed for flight awards and upgrades on EL AL, and more. Continue reading below to learn more about EL AL’s frequent flyer program.

Matmid Club Summary

Matmid Club Elite Status

EL AL Matmid Club is among the few airline loyalty programs that provide benefits to its base-level members. You are automatically given Matmid status upon enrollment and have access to prioritized seating and exclusive member offers.

Above Matmid level are four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Top Platinum. In order to receive elite status, you need to earn a certain amount of qualifying points, or a combination of qualifying points and flight segments, in 12 consecutive months.

Elite members enjoy the following perks:

Lifetime Gold membership is awarded to those aged 67 years and over who have held Gold, Platinum or Top Platinum status for 10 consecutive years.

Earning Matmid Club Points

Earning Matmid Club Points With IHG Rewards Club

Note: As of January 1, 2021, EL AL Matmid Club is no longer a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards.

As a United States citizen, the easiest way to earn Matmid Club points is by transferring your IHG Rewards Club points at a 250:1 ratio. Credit cards that earn IHG Rewards Club points include:

IHG REWARDS CLUB TRAVELER CREDIT CARDIHG REWARDS CLUB PREMIER CREDIT CARD

The  IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card offers 80,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts • 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. • 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases This card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. Member FDIC Click here to learn how to apply

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts • 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. • 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases This card offers several perks that you'll sure enjoy like: an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts (plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay) And as long as you're a cardmember, you'll have Platinum Elite status. You'll get Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card. There is an annual fee of $99. Click here to learn how to apply

Redeeming Matmid Club Points

As a Matmid Club member, you can redeem your points on the following:

• Free flight awards with EL AL
• Points plus cash flight awards with EL AL
• Upgrade awards on EL AL flights
• Seating awards on EL AL flights
• WiFi awards on EL AL flights
• Merchandise awards on EL AL’s Duty Free on the Plane website
• Fuel surcharges, baggage and flight cancellation insurance awards
• Hotel awards
• Restaurant, concert & movie discount awards
• Merchandise awards at EL AL Matmid Club mall
• Charitable donations

Matmid Club points expire after 120 months of inactivity. Be sure to earn or burn your points at least every three years to keep your account active.

Matmid Club Tips & Tricks

Here are a few ways that you can maximize the value of your Matmid Club points:

• Fuel surcharges on award flights: For a round-trip ticket between the United States and Israel, EL AL charges $250. You can redeem 300 points to pay for $150 of the cost.
• Upgrades on cash tickets: Upgrade from economy to economy plus or business, or from business to first. A one-way upgrade from economy to business between New York City and Tel Aviv is 1,350 points. Business to first on the same flight costs 1,800 points.
• Short-haul flights: An example of this would be roundtrip flights between Tel Aviv and Athens. This can be as cheap as 100 points in the off season. You’ll typically find flights between Israel and Europe between 300 to 900 points, depending on the season and the destination.

Bottom Line

After dissolving their partnership with American Express Membership Rewards, EL AL Matmid Club has become a lot less useful for American users. The frequent flyer program doesn’t have many options for U.S.-based members to earn Matmid Club points, nor does it have many attractive ways for Americans to burn points.

If you want to redeem rewards to fly EL AL, we recommend using Qantas miles instead. American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One Rewards all transfer to Qantas.

While you’re here on HMB, you can check out out our Best Travel Credit cards and learn how to earn even more bonus points and miles that you can use towards your future travels!

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